76ers Trade Deadline Summary and Reaction

When Bryan Colangelo had the general manager position handed to him in late Spring of 2016 the hope from most Sixers fans was “Don’t F*** up what Hinkie did!” The past month heading up to the deadline, including yesterday, has shown just how inept Bryan Colangelo actually is.

Let’s start with the handling of Jahlil Okafor. He tells him that he is going to be traded and sits him for two weeks, only not to be traded. he holds off on trading Jahlil Okafor because, and I quote, “I will not make a bad deal for this organization.” Well explain this to me, Mr. Colangelo, in what world is trading a young versatile center in Nerlens Noel for Andre Bogut (who you will release) Justin Anderson and two second round picks a good deal? I don’t want to hear the excuse that you don’t want to pay Nerlens Noel the $18 million price tag that he will command in free agency for multiple reasons. For one, You are going to be about $50-$60 million under the cap this off-season. It isn’t like you are incapable of affording him. Secondly, as GREAT as Joel Embiid is, he has been injury prone. Nerlens Noel was that insurance policy on Joel Embiid, that could anchor a defense, as he did his rookie year to top 10 in the league defensively. Jahlil Okafor has never, is not, and will never be the insurance policy on Joel Embiid that this team needs. There is a reason Jahlil Okafor ranks 449 out of 450 players in real plus-minus, it is because he is not a good player. Just releasing Jahlil Okafor would have been a more productive day than that Nerlens Noel trade.

On to more of a positive note, I am not against the Ersan Ilyasova trade whatsoever. Ilyasova did wonders for Embiid with his ability to stretch the floor, but he is on the last year of a contract, and Dario Saric has come on really strong as of late. It is at the point in a season where you know you are not going to make the playoffs, so you have to give your young players as much playing time as possible.

Up until the trade deadline, Bryan Colangelo hadn’t done anything to make himself look like a poor GM. In what seemed like a panic move, Colangelo undid any of the trust he may have built amongst 76ers fans. This off-season will be bigger for Colangelo than any player on the Sixers roster, in order to show his capability and regain the trust of the fanbase.